Local News Thursday 17th February

Thursday, 17 February 2022 06:00

Dozens of highly skilled new jobs could soon be coming to Yeovil. A campaign’s been launched to change the name of the new unitary council for Somerset. The owner of a garden centre at Castle Cary says a ban on the import of seed potatoes from Europe is costing his business thousands of pounds in lost trade. A bucket collection at the Octagon Theatre has raised £9,000 for two local charities...and more.

Dozens of highly skilled new jobs could soon be coming to Yeovil. It follows a decision by the District Council to give the go-ahead to a new warehouse and freight hub on Seafire Park on Bunford Lane. The warehouse will provide 7,700 square meters of floor space, with lorries entering the site through Watercombe Lane.

A campaign’s been launched to change the name of the new unitary council for Somerset. The new, one council, takes over running all council services from May next year and has been called Somerset Council. Nevertheless, Somerset Guardians, a non-political pressure group, want that changed to South and West Somerset Council. They say the new unitary will cover only part of historic Somerset and that like North Somerset Council in the north and Bath and North East Somerset Council in the northeast of the County, the name of the new council should change to South and West Somerset Council to reflect more accurately the area it will serve.

The owner of a garden centre at Castle Cary says a ban on the import of seed potatoes from Europe is costing his business thousands of pounds in lost trade. After Brexit, the EU banned seed potato imports into Europe from Britain. Then in June last year, Britain reciprocated by banning European potatoes from entering the UK. Chris Smith of Pennard Plants says it’s time the government and EU settled their differences.

A bucket collection at the Octagon Theatre has raised £9,000 for two local charities. The money, donated by the public during the run of the Christmas panto, Mother Goose, has been divided equally between The Foyer Club and the Breast Cancer Unit Appeal at Yeovil Hospital

People in Kingstone near Ilminster are campaigning for a 30 mph speed limit through the parish. Kingstone Parish Meeting has set up a petition to introduce traffic calming measures through the whole of Kingstone, and neighbouring parts of Moolham Lane and Mill Lane last May.

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Friday 31st January

A teenager has been arrested following a stabbing in Yeovil. Water bills in Somerset are set to go up on average by £123 from April. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance will officially open Yeovil’s new outdoor performance space later today...and more
Thursday 30th January

Lloyds bank is closing its branch in Chard. A Sherborne man has been jailed after defrauding a Yeovil woman of £40,000. A volunteer group in Chard is urging people to sign up to a flood victims register. A councillor in Shepton Mallet has become the first Reform UK member on Somerset Council... and more
Wednesday 29th January

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. The government has given half a million pounds towards planting more trees in Somerset, including 100 new trees in Yeovil...and more
Tuesday 28th January

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries...and more
Monday 27th January

A major incident has been declared by Somerset Council to ensure a multi-agency response to the flash flooding that's affected Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, South Petherton and parts of Yeovil. Police believe a 4x4 pick-up truck, found submerged in the River Yeo at Yeovilton at the weekend, may have been stolen. An appeal to raise £2 million to restore the Grand Organ at Wells Cathedral has raised over £1 million in less than 18 months...and more
News Friday 24th January

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK...and more
Thursday 23rd January

Yeovil Town Council has defended its decision to increase its share of the Council Tax by an average of £80. A man who drove an e-scooter in Yeovil while disqualified from driving has been jailed for six weeks. According to new data, the Yeovil driving test centre is the 12th easiest in the UK to pass a driving test...and more
Wednesday 22nd January

Somerset Council is to pay for fifty-bed spaces in nursing homes so that patients can be discharged from hospital quicker. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling for improved disabled access at Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction railway stations. Crewkerne could soon get a new farm shop...and more.